Watch CBS News

Vandals Torch 4 Vehicles In Whitestone, Queens

NEW YORK (CBS 2/1010 WINS) -- Some residents on a quiet Queens street woke up to find their cars in flames.

Torched Truck In Whitestone
John Riccobono with his truck torched in his driveway in Whitestone (Photo/Juliet Papa)

Police said someone set fire to four vehicles on 9th Avenue in Whitestone early Tuesday.

LISTEN: 1010 WINS' Juliet Papa reports from Whitestone

Some were in the street, some were in driveways and at least one of the fires spread to an owner's home.

"I looked out the window and I saw the flames, it was blazing and I called 911," Marcy Ciardello told 1010 WINS.

Another dozen cars were keyed in a vandalism spree across a four block area.

Investigators dusted for prints and located a security camera that may have caught the culprits on video, CBS 2's John Slattery reports.

"At first I didn't know why my truck went on fire, then I found out that three other cars, three other vehicles on the block were also set on fire," said John Riccobono of Malba.

"It was bright red," Riccobono said. "At first I thought the house next door was on fire. When I looked closer I noticed it was my truck in the driveway."

Riccobono used a house to douse the fire until the fire department came.

"I start to cry. You know, it's a beautiful car," Jerry Cota said talking about his GMC Dinali that went up in flames.

"We don't know why, unless they were kids that were drinking, we have no idea what could've happened. No idea," said Lisa Pekaris of Malba.

Detectives have been canvassing the area. No arrests were made.

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.